Of Dance Shoes and Movie Scripts
by RadicalRae
Summary: Newt Scamander is just a ballet dancer who owns way too many animals and he has a hopeless crush on the famous movie star Percival Graves. It's a hopeless crush - until a boy named Credence asks to pet Frank and Newt meets his legal guardian Percival Graves. THE Percival Graves. Yes, he's freaking out, and yes, Queenie is infinitely amused. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Well, so, this is the first time I've written any of these characters. I just...I just really needed ballet dancer Newt and movie star/actor Graves ok.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated. Let me know how I'm doing.**

 **X X X X**

Logically, really, if he looked back on the words the lead dancer had told them, Newt should've known who certain famous people were and all that. He should've known what Percival Graves looked like, should've been able to pick out his prodigy in the crowd from a mile away.

But all he was really seeing was an adorable, shy young lad who wanted to pet one of his dogs. And of course Newt said yes, of course he told the boy the names of his dogs.

Later, he'd curse himself and bemoan his situation to his less than helpful friends.

For now, the boy looked so happy to be petting Pickett - a small brown dachshund with a green harness - and Newt couldn't give a damn about people taking pictures. Honestly, he thought they either recognized him from the few plays he'd been in or the shows he'd had a small role in. He still hadn't quite realized what was going on when the handsome man with the windswept hair stepped in to tell the young lad that they were going to be late.

The boy looked up from Frank - a large golden retriever interested in covering the boy's face in affectionate kisses - and nodded, looking quite put out. He stood, stopping once to pat both Pickett and Frank goodbye before mumbling a thank you to Newt.

The man he was with rolled his eyes, but there was a fondness amid the irritation.

"Come along Credence, we must hurry now."

Newt smiled and waved goodbye, gently tugging on his dogs' leash to get them walking again.

Later, after telling Queenie about his encounter (she just laughed and teased him about the handsome mystery man) he still didn't know what he was missing.

Even later, after watching _"The Obscure"_ for the fifth time Newt still hadn't connected the dots. He did smile when he realized how much mystery man looked like the Edward in the film. It _was_ rather uncanny.

 **X X X X**

A few days later saw Newt Scamander sitting in an out of the way cafe, sipping earl grey tea and rapid fire texting with Tina about their upcoming show. The poor girl was worried about her final pose - she kept wobbling and they all needed to be perfect for the coda. On top of that, her new boyfriend had dumped her through a text.

In his lap he had Niffler, a small black terrier with an adorable pink nose and a golden colored harness and a bedazzled leash. The little dog was peering over the table, tiny nose twitching and ears perked up. Newt was wondering when he'd find the dog gone and stealing someone's purse or shoe.

Not long, apparently.

"Uh, excuse me, b-but your dog took my sandal..." Newt glanced up, words dying in his mouth when he saw the boy from a few days ago looking at him. He smiled and chuckled, pulling the pale blue sandal from Niffler's mouth.

"Sorry about that, he's my little thief. His name's Niffler, by the way. And I'm Newt."

"C-Credence." The boy took his sandal back and slid it on with the slightest of pink dusting his cheeks. He had shaky hands and looked nervous. Newt discreetly scanned the cafe for the man he'd been with, but not seeing him, turned to invite Credence to sit with him.

"A-are you sure?"

"Of course! You can hold Niffler for me, if Pickett liked you this guy will to."

By the time the mystery man walked into the cafe - salt and pepper hair messy like he'd just fought his way through a crowd - Newt had Credence in a fit of quiet giggles and he'd coaxed him into having a bit of tea.

The man's name was Percival and he found Newt's name incredibly amusing.

Or, at least that's what Credence said, shy and stuttering and hiding his face in Niffler's scruffy head.

Newt was on his way to the studio, ballet gear in a bag and a thermos of tea for Queenie in his hand, when he finally realized something; Percival had the same name as his favorite actor. He told Queenie this much, and later he emailed Jacob about it.

He went to bed before his friend could respond.

 **X X X X**

In the end, it took witnessing Percival and Credence sneaking by a crowd of reporters with sunglasses and hat on just to slip into the theater for Newt to reconsider his thoughts over the week. He was kneeling on the sidelines, running his hands through Demiguise's silvery grey fur and leaning away from the saluki's friendly snout. He could see Credence taking a seat next to Percival, all bundled up in a grey sweater and black coat and scarf, face tinted red from the overly cooled theater. Percival, on the other hand, immediately shed his coat and popped open the first few buttons of his white dress shirt, grey scarf added to the pile of black fabric that was his coat.

"You know, you could just go talk to him instead of sitting here and staring." Newt jumped, nearly falling over, and he glared up at Queenie from where he knelt. He didn't notice when Demiguise attempted to slip away, only tightening his grip on her harness and clipping her leash back on. He'd take her out one last time before the show started.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I was just..."

"Admiring the view? What's his name? He looks real handsome y'know..."

Newt sighed, unable to even feel annoyed by the blond's questions and overall nosiness. Just backstage, he could hear the other dancers getting ready, and from the corner of his eye he could see Tina fretting quietly with her phone in her hands and a book in her lap. He stood up, giving Queenie his "we-are-not-talking-about-this-anymore" look. She let him pass her with a pout, but flounced away once her sister called for her to get ready.

No one would ever get the male dancer to admit that, yes, maybe he had been admiring the view of Percival's neat hair and the confident way he held himself and the peek of skin he got to see when buttons were undone.

After putting Demiguise back in his dressing room (she was not happy, but at least she had Pickett to keep her company inside the room) Newt tugged on the black outfit and navy blue jacket all the male dancers would be wearing and attempted to fix his unruly hair. With one last glance at his dogs, he headed back to the stage, hurrying to take his starting position between Tina and a thin man who's name he was sure was Tom or Thomas something. The music started, slow and sensual and the heavy velvet curtains parted. They started smoothly, all en pointe and beautiful curved arms. Newt shifts into a pirouette, barely taking notice as his side follows suit, the women's chiffon skirts flowing like liquid black.

The jacket is heavy against his back, suffocating beneath the hot lights shining down on him, but a gentle breeze created by Tina's promenade has him ignoring the nearly unbearable heat. Halfway through the show, the dancers all do a pirouette en dedans to move closer as a group, the same time as the music lifts into something with a faint violin sound, and Newt finishes perfectly right beside Tina, one leg stretched forward with his toes barely grazing the floor and one hand resting lightly on Tina's waist, body twisted towards her and face tilted up in a pseudo scowl. Her arms are above her head, curved and beautiful and there's a soft smile on her face, peering up through her eyelashes and poised to make a move - whatever it might be is up to the viewers to imagine.

The curtains close and Tina falls right into his arms, making him laugh from surprise and slight fatigue. The other dancers share satisfied smiles and take their leave off stage. Newt wraps an arm around Tina and they walk into the side wings together, whispering softly about their performances as the skirt around everyone else. Newt spies Queenie on her phone, curled up with her water bottle and a blanket in the corner. A few other dancers copy her, and Tina, with an apology and an unsure smile, goes to sit with her sister.

Newt is fine with that and checks up on Demiguise and Pickett. The dogs, at least, are happy to see him, and he picks up Pickett's leash and clips it on to the little dog's harness. He toes off his ballet shoes and replaces them with a pair of beat up sneakers, and pulls off the navy coat before he goes outside. The air is cool on his face and his bare arms, and he would have stayed out longer, but he turns and finds _Percival Graves_ himself looking down at him. Newt goes still, the peacefulness he'd just felt gone with a blink of soft brown eyes.

"Ah, e-excuse me..." Newt all but runs back inside, heart pounding in his chest and Pickett yipping at his heels. He drops the small dog off at his room and takes the time to grab a packet of crackers and a bottle of water.

He can't believe he hadn't made the connection before just then.

He can't believe he hadn't figured it out when people took pictures the first time.

He can't believe he treated a famous person like they weren't famous at all.

He can't believe he let said famous person's probable son pet his dogs!

Newt takes a deep breath and peers out through a sliver of space between the curtain and the wall of the stage. He can see Credence sitting alone, the seat next to him empty. Tina and Queenie try to pull him away from his spot, but he merely shakes his head and shoos them off with a wave of his hand. When he looks back out, Percival is in his seat and staring directly at him with a disarmingly soft expression.

When the show starts again, Newt stumbles on a spin and doesn't look at the crowd as he right himself gracefully and he and Tina come back together for the waltz scene.

He ignores the stare burning into his back.

He ignores the glimpse of white shirt he sees.

He ignores the terrible thumping of his heart and focuses instead on the warmth of Tina's hand and the way she dips down so prettily and comes back up smiling.

He tells himself that he can't think of Percival again. He promises to himself that he won't even acknowledge him.

Credence gives him roses at the end and stutters out a shy "congrats" with Percival standing behind him and Newt breaks his promise.


	2. Chapter 2

Credence was ten when his mother hit him for the first time. She apologized immediately after, holding him close and crying into his hair. He had forgiven her. It had just been once, after all.

Credence was twelve when his mother beat him for the first time. He couldn't explain the bruises away and his teachers took notice. But his mother was an influential person and everyone looked the other way and left him with his bruises and tears.

Credence was thirteen when his mother beat him so badly that he went to the hospital with black eyes and a broken arm. Two weeks later his mother changed the locks on the doors of the house and put a lock on the fridge. She paid off the police and bribed the hospital staff into silence.

Credence was fourteen when he kissed the pretty blond boy next door and his mother beat him again and locked him into the basement. Dinner was withheld from him for three days. He couldn't cry, not even when he told the blond boy that they could never speak again.

Credence was fifteen when someone finally took notice and rescued him, gave him what he'd craved for so long. Percival Graves held him gently, gingerly, like he could break at any moment. He promised to protect him. He promised to give him a family he deserved. Two months later and he was the son of a famous movie star who defended him with everything he had. His mother went to jail for what she'd done to him and he could feel a tiny bit safer with her behind bars.

Credence was seventeen when the oblivious, kind, warm hearted Newt Scamander stumbled into his life with shy - albeit sunny - smiles and gentleness and a flood of adorable dogs.

He was still nervous around him, blushing and fiddling with his clothes and focusing on his dogs instead. He _liked_ Newt. Newt made Mr. Graves smile and laugh, his dogs shed over his clothes and he made amazing food.

He knew Mr. Graves really liked Newt too, but for an odd reason neither said much to the other. When they went to Newt's show, Mr. Graves never looked away from the pale dancer once, he openly stared when the man did a _vertical splits_ halfway through the show. When at the end of the show and Newt somehow managed to catch a thrown tulip in one hand while the other held Ms. Goldstein's waist. Mr. Graves bought roses and Credence was the one to give them to Newt.

When they saw Newt at a park with his dogs (whom Credence immediately played with and threw sticks for) Mr. Graves asked him if he'd go to dinner with them and Credence, who was peering up from behind his father, gave Newt the best please-say-yes face he could come up with.

Newt said yes, and Frank tried to become a lapdog (poor Mr. Graves) a moment later.

Credence faked a cold and told Mr. Graves to go ahead without him.

He got to babysit Frank, Pickett, Niffler and Demiguise. It was a good night for all of them. Except for Niffler because he got his head stuck in a vase. (He only panicked a little bit).

X X

Newt's hands shook as he picked up his wine glass, blue eyes looking anywhere but at Percival. He'd barely spoken to the man in the past times they'd met, except for the park.

Percival had smiled at him then, lap and arms full of rowdy golden retriever and his son standing right behind him, nodding and silently convincing Newt to go to dinner. Only thing was, was that he'd been sure it would be the three of them.

Credence had suddenly fallen ill and instead had stayed home (watching his four dogs).

It was just him and Percival. The very handsome, famous Percival Graves that Newt had been crushing on for the last four years. If he could see Queenie now...He was sure the woman would be laughing at him in that way that made it seem like he was being silly.

Newt peeked over the edge of his menu, smiling shyly when he caught Percival's gaze. The brown eyed man looked back down, and Newt found himself smiling wider - until his own gaze slid to the window looking out into the streets and saw _him._

Gellert hadn't changed much. His hair was whiter than before, but his eyes were the same. Those mean, malice filled eyes. He was leaning against that damned truck of his, the same truck he'd hit Newt with in an attempt to kill him. He smiled the same way too - this wicked, awful mockery of something that most would mistake for kindness.

"Newt? Are you ok?" Percival straightened up, laying his menu down and frowning. His brows were furrowed together in confusion and concern, making Newt realize just how nice this man had to be.

Gellert was trouble. He was sadistic and possessive. He could hurt the man sitting across from him just because he was here. Having dinner. With Newt.

"I-I...I have t-to go. I'm so s-sorry but I-I..." Newt stood up fast, knees knocking I to the table and nearly spilling his glass of wine as he pushed his chair out of the way. Percival simply pushed his chair back and reach out to stop the ballet dancer.

"No, Newt, what is going on? You look...you look _scared_."

Newt couldn't breath. Gellert looked angry now, hands balled into fists and jaw clenched. The eyes that haunted his dreams just kept _staring_ and he felt far, far too weak.

But Percival was kind - perhaps he'd understand?

"M-my...I don't h-have the best judgement. I trust p-people too much. A-and I..."

"Newt, what?"

"My aggressive ex is standing outside and I'd _very_ much like to leave as soon as possible." Newt turned towards Percival, keeping his voice down so that others couldn't hear him. At the same time, it kept him from having to look at his ex. Percival wrapped an arm around him and they started walking, not towards the front of the restaurant but towards the back hallway.

"Newt you should've just said something. I'm an actor with hundreds-"

"More like thousands." Newt mumbled, glancing behind them with nervous, shifty eyes. The actor leading him down the hallway pursed his lips in a rueful way, and continued speaking.

"I know how to avoid people. We'll go out the back way, the valet can take my car there, and we'll go to the police immediately."

Newt could've cried. He could've hugged Percival. Instead he nodded dumbly and clung to the man.

Once in the car Newt called Tina and told her what had happened, then he called Credence and told him to lock everything and stay in the bedroom where there was only one entrance - and to tell him the commands for Frank to attack _just in case_.

He (and all of his many, many animals) stayed the night in the penthouse of Percival Graves.

The police posted a lookout in the lobby and everyone Newt knew had been alerted of Gellert's being back in New York.

"At least I don't have another show for a few months." Newt murmured into his cup of tea, curled up on an overly fancy (but comfortable) couch with Pickett in his lap and Demiguise curled up next to him.

From where Percival was quietly holding a brilliantly colored snake, a hum of agreement came from the man, looking at Newt with his brown eyes.

Eyes so different from Gellert's cold, stony glare.

"I'm so sorry for all of this. I should've told you beforehand I...I just...I wanted to...I didn't want this to happen."

"Newt, I don't care. He scares you and I get that. I have some pretty fucked up fans, I'll have some guys I know make sure he doesn't bother you again. I know the chief of police pretty well, she'll make sure that your place is safe for you to go back to."

Percival was serious, dead serious. Though Newt would take him more seriously if he didn't have a snake winding its way up his sleeve and had both Niffler and Frank practically on top of him.

"You're a lot kinder than I thought you'd be."

"Is that an insult or a complement?"

"I've watched all of your movies, you usually play either the hopeless romantic or a guy out for blood. I..I was never sure how you'd be in person."

"Well, I am a hopeless romantic. Prepare to be drowned in roses."

"Its only fair." Newt couldn't stop the smile and his his mouth in the lip of his mug. When Percival gave him a questioning look, he gestured at the animals (four dogs, three cats, three snakes, two birds, a lizard and a very, very energetic ferret) occupying the penthouse. "I've drowned _you_ in my animals. And you haven't even met the horses. Does Credence likes horses or...?"

Percival stared at him, eyes wide and eyebrows high in surprise.

"I'm sure Credence will love them. Good God, how do you manage not to worry about them? Isn't it...overwhelming?"

"Isn't being a movie star overwhelming?"

"Touche, Mr. Scamander. Now, how do I get Niffler to stop stealing my watch?"

Curled in a beanbag chair across the room (clearly forgotten by the other two men) Credence snickered and sank further behind his laptop, all three cats purring away with him. Those two were good for each other.

Now, if he could only convince them to let him keep the cats...


End file.
